Dr. Eric Brevik, chair of the Dickinson State University Department of Natural Sciences, was awarded the Soil Science Education Award by the Soil Science Society of America. Brevik is a professor of geology and soils. In April 2012, Brevik attended the European Geosciences Union (EGU) meeting in Vienna, Austria.

While in Vienna, Brevik gave nine presentations on his research focused on four areas: soil formation in environments disturbed by mining, the use of electrical conductivity techniques to map soils, the influence of soils on human health and soil science history.

Brevik's presentation on soils and human health was given in the prestigious Presidents' Session, a session organized by the current, past and incoming presidents of the Soil Systems Sciences division that highlights state of the art research in the field. Presentations in the Presidents' Session are by invitation only. While at the meeting, Brevik also was elected as the chair of a newly formed subdivision on the History and Society of Soil Science.